U.S. Factory Production Drops for First Time in Three Months
- Total industrial output falls 0.4%, the most since March
- Utility output decreases as Nov. second-warmest on record
This article is for subscribers only.
U.S. factory output dropped in November for the first time in three months, showing an anemic recovery in manufacturing after an extended slowdown.
Production at factories, which make up 75 percent of all output, fell 0.1 percent, a Federal Reserve report showed Wednesday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for a 0.2 percent drop. Total industrial output, which includes mines and utilities, decreased 0.4 percent, the biggest decline since March, as utility use slowed with warmer-than-usual temperatures.